forgot, you cannot. Give the copy of the letter to the Lady Irene; theoriginal she can see afterwards if she wills."

So the paper was given to her by Jodd, and she read it aloud, weighingeach word carefully.

"Oh, what a dog is this!" she said when it was finished. "Know, Olaf,that of my free will I surrendered the throne to him, yes, and all myprivate treasure, he swearing upon the Gospels that I should live inpeace and honour till my life's end. And now he sends me to you to beblinded and then done to death, for that is what he means. Oh! may Godavenge me upon him! May he become a byword and a scorn, and may hisown end be even worse than that which he has prepared for me. Mayshame wrap his memory as in a garment, may his bones be dishonouredand his burying-place forgotten. Aye, and so it shall be."[*]

[*] The skull of this Nicephorus is said to have been used as a drinking cup by his victorious enemy, the King Krum.--Editor.

She paused in her fearful curse, then said in a new voice, that voicein which she was wont to plead,

"You will not blind me, Olaf. You'll not take from me my lastblessing, the light of day. Think what it means----"

"The General Olaf should know well enough," interrupted Jodd, but Iwaved him to be silent, and answered,

"Tell me, Madam, how can I do otherwise? It seems to me that my lifeand that of my wife and children hang upon this deed. Moreover, whyshould I do otherwise now that by God's justice the wheel has comeround at last?" I added, pointing to the hollows beneath my browswhere the eyes once had been.

"Oh! Olaf," she said, "if I harmed you, you know well it was because Iloved you."

"Then God send that no woman ever loves me in such a fashion," brokein Jodd.

"Olaf," she continued, taking no note of him, "once you went very nearto loving me also, on that night when you would have eaten thepoisoned figs to save my son, the Emperor. At least, you kissed me. Ifyou forget, I cannot. Olaf, can you blind a woman whom you havekissed?"

"Kissing takes two, and I know that you blinded him," muttered Jodd,"for I crucified the brutes you commanded to do the deed to which theyconfessed."

"Olaf, I admit that I treated you ill; I admit that I would havekilled you; but, believe me, it was jealousy and naught but jealousywhich drove me on. Almost as soon would I have killed myself; indeed,I thought of it."

"And there the matter ended," said Jodd. "It was Olaf who walked theHall of the Pit, not you. We found him on the brink of the hole."

"Olaf, after I regained my power----"

"By blinding your own son," said Jodd, "for which you will have anaccount to settle one day."

"----I dealt well with you. Knowing that you had married my rival, forI kept myself informed of all you did, still I lifted no hand againstyou----"

"What good was a maimed man to you when you were courting the EmperorCharlemagne?" asked Jodd.

Now at last she turned on him, saying,

"Well is it for you, Barbarian, that if only for a while Fate has reftpower from my hands. Oh! this is the bitterest drop in all my cup,that I who for a score of years ruled the world must live to sufferthe insults of such as you."

"Then why not die and have done?" asked the imperturbable Jodd. "Or,if you lack the courage, why not submit to the decree of the Emperor,as so many have submitted to your decree, instead of troubling thegeneral here with prayers for mercy? It would serve as well."

"Jodd," I said, "I command you to be silent. This lady is in trouble;attack those in power, if you will, not those who have fallen."

"There speaks the man I loved," said Irene. "What perverse fate keptus apart, Olaf? Had you taken what I offered, by now you and I wouldhave ruled the world."

"Perhaps, Madam; yet it is right I should say that I do not regret mychoice, although because of it I can no longer--look upon the world."

"I know, I know! She of that accursed necklace, which I see you stillwear, came between us and spoiled everything. Now I'm ruined for lackof you and you are nobody for lack of me, a soldier who will run hispetty course and depart into the universal darkness, leaving never aname behind him. In the ages to be what man will take count of one ofa score of governors of the little Isle of Lesbos, who might yet haveheld the earth in the hollow of his hand and shone a second Cæsar inits annals? Oh! what marplot of a devil rules our destinies? He whofashioned those golden shells upon your breast, or so I think. Well,well, it is so and cannot be altered. The Augusta of the Empire of theEast must plead with the man who rejected her, for sight, or ratherfor her life. You understand, do you not, Olaf, that letter is acommand to you to murder me?"

"Just such a command as you gave to those who blinded your sonConstantine," muttered Jodd beneath his breath.

"That is what is meant. You are to murder me, and, Olaf, I'm not fitto die. Great place brings great temptations, and I admit that I havegreatly sinned; I need time upon the earth to make my peace withHeaven, and if you slay my body now, you will slay my soul as well.Oh! be pitiful! Be pitiful! Olaf, you cannot kill the woman who haslain upon your breast, it is against nature. If you did such a thingyou'd never sleep again; you would shudder yourself over the edge ofthe world! Being what you are, no pomp or power would ever pay you forthe deed. Be true to your own high heart and spare me. See, I who forso long was the ruler of many kingdoms, kneel to you and pray you tospare me," and, casting herself down upon her knees, she laid her headupon my feet and wept.

All that scene comes back to me with a strange and terrible vividness,although I had no sight to aid me in its details, save the sight of mysoul. I remember that the wonder and horror of it pierced me throughand through; the stab of the dagger in my eyes was not more sharp.There was I, Olaf, a mere gentleman of the North, seated in my chairof office, and there before me, her mighty head bowed upon my feet,knelt the Empress of the Earth pleading for her life. In truth allhistory could show few stranger scenes. What was I to do? If I yieldedto her piteous prayers, it was probable that my own life and those ofmy wife and children would pay the price. Yet how could I clap myhands in their Eastern fashion and summon the executioners to piercethose streaming eyes of hers? "Rise, Augusta," I said, for in thisextremity of her shame I gave her back her title, "and tell me, youwho are accustomed to such matters, how I can spare you who deal withthe lives of others as well as with my own?"

"I thank you for that name," she said as she struggled to her feet."I've heard it shouted by tens of thousands in the circus and from thethroats of armies, but never yet has it been half so sweet to me asnow from lips that have no need to utter it. In times bygone I'd havepaid you for this service with a province, but now Irene is so poorthat, like some humble beggar-woman, she can but give her thanks.Still, repeat it no more, for next time it will sound bitter. What didyou ask? How you could save me, was it not? Well, the thing seemssimple. In all that letter from Nicephorus there is no direct commandthat you should blind me. The fellow says that you are to treat me asI treated you, and as I treated Constantine, the Emperor--because Imust. Well, I imprisoned both of you. Imprison me and you fulfil themandate. He says that if I die you are to report it, which shows thathe does not mean that I /must/ die. Oh! the road of escape is easy,should you desire to travel it. If you do not so desire, then, Olaf, Ipray you as a last favour not to hand me over to common men. I seethat by your side still hangs that red sword of yours wherewith once Ithreatened you when you refused me at Byzantium. Draw it, Olaf, andthis time I'll guide its edge across my throat. So you will pleaseNicephorus and win the rewards that Irene can no longer give. Baptisedin her blood, what earthly glory is there to which you might not yetattain, you who had dared to lay hands upon the anointed flesh thateven her worst foes have feared to touch lest God's sudden curseshould strike them dead?"

So she went on pouring out words with the strange eloquence that shecould command at times, till I grew bewildered. She who had lived inlight and luxury, who had loved the vision of all bright and gloriousthings, was pleading for her sight to the man whom she had robbed ofsight that he might never more behold the young beauty of her rival.She who had imagination to know the greatness of her sins was pleadingto be spared the death she dared not face. She was pleading to me, whofor years had been her faithful soldier, the captain of her own guard,sworn to protect her from the slightest ill, me upon whom, for awhile, it had pleased her to lavish the wild passion of her imperialheart, who once had almost loved--who, indeed, had kissed her on thelips.

My orders were definite. I was commanded to blind this woman and tokill her in the blinding, which, in truth, I who had power of life anddeath, I who ruled over this island like a king by virtue of the royalcommission, could do without question asked. If I /failed/ to fulfilthose orders, I must be prepared to pay the price, as if I did fulfilthem I might expect a high reward, probably the governorship of somegreat province of the Empire. This was no common prisoner. She was theex-Empress, a mighty woman to whom tens of thousands or perhapsmillions still looked for help and leadership. It was necessary tothose who had seized her place and power that she should be renderedincapable of rule. It was desirable to them that she should die. Yetso delicately were the scales poised between them and the adherents ofIrene, among whom were numbered all the great princes of the Church,that they themselves did not dare to inflict mutilation or death uponher. They feared lest it should be followed by a storm of wrath thatwould shake Nicephorus from his throne and involve them in his ruin.

So they sent her to me, the governor of a distant dependency, the manwhom they knew she had wickedly wronged, being certain that hertongue, which it was said could turn the hearts of all men, wouldnever soften mine. Then afterwards they would declare that the warrantwas a forgery, that I had but wreaked a private vengeance upon anancient foe, and, to still the scandal, degrade me from mygovernorship--into some place of greater power and profit.

Oh! while Irene pleaded before me and, heedless of the presence ofJodd, even cast her arms about me and laid her head upon my breast,all these things passed through my mind. In its scales I weighed thematter out, and the beam rose against me, for I knew well that if Ispared Irene I condemned myself and those who were more to me thanmyself, my wife, my children, and all the Northmen who clung to me,and who would not see me die without blow struck. I understood it all,and, understanding, of a sudden made up my mind--to spare Irene. Comewhat might, I would be no butcher; I would follow my heartwhithersoever it might lead me.

"Oh!" exclaimed Irene, "if these women are to be called in counsel onmy case all is finished, seeing that both of them love you and are myenemies. Moreover, I have some pride left. To you I could plead, butnot to them, though they blind me with their bodkins after they havestabbed me with their tongues. Excellency, a last boon! Call in yourguard and kill me."

"Madam, I said that I had decided, and all the women in the world willnot change my mind in this way or in that. Jodd, do my bidding."

Jodd struck a bell, once only, which was the signal for the messenger.He came and received his orders. Then followed a pause, sinceHeliodore and Martina were in a place close by and must be sent for.During this time Irene began to talk to me of sundry general matters.She compared the view that might be seen from this house in Lesbos tothat from the terrace of her palace on the Bosphorus, and describedits differences to me. She asked me as to the Caliph Harun-al-Rashid,whom she understood I had seen, inquiring as to the estimate I hadformed of his character. Lastly, with a laugh, she dwelt upon thestrange vicissitudes of life.

"Look at me," she said. "I began my days as the daughter of a Greekgentleman, with no dower save my wit and beauty. Then I rose to be aruler of the world, and knew all that it has to give of pomp andpower. Nations trembled at my nod; at my smile men grew great; at myfrown they faded into nothingness. Save you, Olaf, none ever reallyconquered me, until I fell in the appointed hour. And now! Of thissplendour there is left but a nun's robe; of this countless wealth butone silver crucifix; of this power--naught."

So she spoke on, still not knowing to what decision I had come;whether she were to be blinded or to live or die. To myself I thoughtit was a proof of her greatness that she could thus turn her mind tosuch things while Fate hovered over her, its hand upon a sword. But itmay be that she thought thus to impress me and to enmesh me inmemories which would tie my hands, or even from the character of myanswers to draw some augury of her doom.

The women came at length. Heliodore entered first, and to her Irenebowed.

"Greeting, Lady of Egypt," she said. "Ah! had you taken my counsel inthe past, that title might have been yours in very truth, and thereyou and your husband could have founded a new line of kingsindependent of the Empire which totters to its fall."

"I remember no such counsel, Madam," said Heliodore. "It seems to methat the course I took was right and one pleasing to God, since it hasgiven me my husband for myself, although, it is true, wickedly robbedof his eyes."

"For yourself! Can you say so while Martina is always at his side?"she asked in a musing voice. "Well, it may be, for in this worldstrange things happen."

She paused, and I heard both Heliodore and Jodd move as though inanger, for her bitter shaft had gone home. Then she went on softly,

"Lady, may I tell you that, in my judgment, your beauty is evengreater than it was, though it is true it has grown from bud toflower. Few bear their years and a mother's burdens so lightly inthese hot lands."

Heliodore did not answer, for at that moment Martina entered. SeeingIrene for the first time, she forgot everything that had passed andcurtseyed to her in the old fashion, murmuring the familiar words,

"Thy servant greets thee, Augusta."

"Nay, use not that title, Martina, to one who has done with the worldand its vanities. Call me 'Mother' if you will, for that is the onlyname of honour by which those of my religious order may be known. Intruth, as your mother in God, I welcome you and bless you, from myheart forgiving you those ills which you have worked against me,being, as I know well, driven by a love that is greater than any womanbears to woman. But that eating fire of passion scorned is theheritage of both of us, and of it we will talk afterwards. I must notwaste the time of the General Olaf, whom destiny, in return for manygriefs, has appointed to be my jailer. Oh! Olaf," she added with alittle laugh, "some foresight of the future must have taught me totrain you for the post. Let us then be silent, ladies, and listen tothe judgment which this jailer of mine is about to pass upon me. Doyou know it is no less than whether these eyes of mine, which you werewont to praise, Martina, which in his lighter moments even this sternOlaf was wont to praise, should be torn from beneath my brow, and ifso, whether it should be done in such a fashion that I die of thedeed? That and no less is the matter which his lips must settle. Nowspeak, Excellency."

"Madam," I said slowly, "to the best of my wit I have considered theletter sent to me under the seal and sign of the Emperor Nicephorus.Although it might be so interpreted by some, I cannot find in thatletter any direct command that I should cause you to be blinded, butonly one that I should keep you under strict guard, giving you suchthings as are necessary to your sustenance. This then I shall do, andby the first ship make report of my action to the Emperor atByzantium."

Now, when she heard these words, at length the proud spirit of Irenebroke.

"God reward you, for I cannot, Olaf," she cried. "God reward you,saint among men, who can pay back cruel injuries with the gentlestmercy."

So saying, she burst into tears and fell senseless to the ground.

Martina ran to aid her, but Heliodore turned to me and said in hertender voice,

"This is worthy of you, Olaf, and I would not have you do otherwise.Yet, husband, I fear that this pity of yours has signed the death-warrant of us all."

So it proved to be, though, as it chanced, that warrant was neverexecuted. I made my report to Byzantium, and in course of time theanswer came in a letter from the Emperor. This letter coldly approvedof my act in set and formal phrases. It added that the truth had beenconveyed publicly to those slanderers of the Emperor who announcedthat he had caused Irene to be first blinded and then put to death inLesbos, whereby their evil tongues had been silenced.

Then came this pregnant sentence:

"We command you, with your wife and children and your lieutenant, theCaptain Jodd, with his wife and children, to lay down your offices andreport yourselves with all speed to Us at our Court of Byzantium, thatwe may confer with you on certain matters. If it is not convenient toyou, or you can find no fitting ship in which to sail at once, knowthat within a month of your receipt of this letter our fleet will callat Lesbos and bring you and the others herein mentioned to ourPresence."

"That is a death sentence," said Martina, when she had finishedreading out this passage. "I have seen several such sent in my day,when I was Irene's confidential lady. It is the common form. We shallnever reach Byzantium, Olaf, or, if we do, we shall never leave itmore."

I nodded, for I knew that this was so. Then, at some whispered wordfrom Martina, Heliodore spoke.

"Husband," she said, "foreseeing this issue, Martina, Jodd, and mostof the Northmen and I have made a plan which we now submit to you,praying that for our sakes, if not for yours, you will not thrust itaside. We have bought two good ships, armed them and furnished themwith all things needful. Moreover, during the past two months we havesold much of our property, turning it into gold. This is our plan--that we pretend to obey the order of the Emperor, but instead ofheading for Byzantium, sail away north to the land in which you wereborn, where, having rank and possessions, you may still become amighty chief. If we go at once we shall miss the Imperial fleet, and Ithink that none will follow us."

Now I bowed my head for a while and thought. Then I lifted it andsaid,

"So let it be. No other road is open."

For my own sake I would not have stirred an inch. I would have gone tothe Court of the Emperor at Byzantium and there argued out the thingin a gambler's spirit, prepared to win or prepared to lose. There atleast I should have had all the image-worshippers who adored Irene,that is, the full half of the Empire, upon my side, and if I perished,I should perish as a saint. But a wife and children are the mostterrible gifts of God, if the most blessed, for they turn our heartsto water. So, for the first time in my life, I grew afraid, and, fortheir sakes, fled.

As might be expected, having Martina's brains, Heliodore's love, andthe Northmen's loyalty at the back of it, our plan went well. A letterwas sent to the Emperor saying that we would await the arrival of thefleet to obey his commands, having some private matters to arrangebefore we left Lesbos. Then, on a certain evening, we embarked on twogreat ships, about four hundred souls in all.

Before we went I bade farewell to Irene. She was seated outside thehouse that had been given to her, employed in spinning, for it was herfancy to earn the bread she ate by the labour of her hands. Round herwere playing Jodd's children and my own, whom, in order to escapesuspicion, we had sent thither till the time came for us to embark,since the people of Lesbos only knew of our scheme by rumour.

"Whither do you go, Olaf?" she asked.

"Back to the North, whence I came, Madam," I answered, "to save thelives of these," and I waved my hand towards the children. "If I bidehere all must die. We have been sent for to Byzantium, as I think/you/ were wont to send for officers who had ceased to please you."

"I understand, Olaf; moreover, I know it is I who have brought thistrouble upon you because you spared me, whom it was meant that youshould kill. Also I know, through friends of mine, that henceforth,for reasons of policy, my little end of life is safe, and perhaps withit my sight. All this I owe to you, though now at times I regret thatI asked the boon. From the lot of an Empress to that of a spinning-wife is a great change, and one which I find it heard to bear. Still,I have my peace to make with God, and towards that peace I strive. Yetwill you not take me with you, Olaf? I should like to found a nunneryin that cold North of yours."

"No, Augusta. I have done my best by you, and now you must guardyourself. We part for ever. I go hence to finish where I began. Mybirthplace calls me."

"For ever is a long word, Olaf. Are you sure that we part for ever?Perchance we shall meet again in death or in other lives. Such, atleast, was the belief of some of the wisest of my people before webecame Christian, and mayhap the Christians do not know everything,since the world had learnt much before they came. I hope that it maybe so, Olaf, for I owe you a great debt and would repay it to you fullmeasure, pressed down and running over. Farewell. Take with you theblessing of a sinful and a broken heart," and, rising, she kissed meon the brow.

Here ends the story of this life of mine as Olaf Red-Sword, since ofit I can recover no more. The darkness drops. Of what befell me andthe others after my parting with Irene I know nothing or very little.Doubtless we sailed away north, and, I think, came safely to Aar,since I have faint visions of Iduna the Fair grown old, but stillunwed, for the stain of Steinar's blood, as it were, still marked herbrow in all men's eyes; and even of Freydisa, white-haired and noble-looking. How did we meet and how did we separate at last, I wonder?And what were the fates of Heliodore and of our children; of Martinaand of Jodd? Also, was the prophecy of Odin, spoken through the lipsof Freydisa in the temple at Aar, that he and his fellow gods, ordemons, would prevail against my flesh and that of those who clung tome, fulfilled at last in the fires of martyrdom for the Faith, as hispromise of my happiness was fulfilled?

I cannot tell. I cannot tell. Darkness entombs us all and history isdumb.

At Aar there are many graves! Standing among them, not so long ago,much of this history came back to me.